GRAW lighting

[prolificone]

Well, overall I really enjoy the physics and graphics in GRAW but I still have a minor issue with the graphics that I couldn't quite figure out.... something with the colors looking dull or brownish or yellowish... I just couldnt figure it out. I thought maybe it was just the mexico city 'look' or something. But I just can't shake the thought.

I run the game fine and have nvidia 7900gt. But even looking at some of the screenshots. While many online SSs are better than mine, I realized that the sunlight appears to be giving off more of a incandescent type light (yellowish). That is the best that I can describe it. Now some areas of some maps looks real crisp and the colors seem ok but most of the time I still get this weird haze (I say 'haze' but there is not a clarity issue, just a color issue).

Now I have been playing a lot of RvS in recent years. So I have been used to crisp colors (with blocky textures) and that could be part of my problem. No doubt, the graphics and physics in GRAW blows any other game out of the water, but this one little issue still lingers for me.

It just seems that the sunlight is not quite 'natural' in the game, more like incandescent light.

Can anyone offer some tweaks or suggestions to help with this?

Edited June 18, 2006 by Prolific

[Agent Smith]

It's the Post Effects thing, that adds HDR and it nukes the game to "20 shades of yellow."

If you want to get rid of this go here:

GRAW folder/Data/settings

Open this .XML with Notepad:

renderer_settings.xml

Look for this line:

<variable name="post_effect_quality" value="high"/>

Switch it to:

<variable name="post_effect_quality" value="off"/>

That'll get rid of the Post Effects, and the game will be more colorful. The only downside is that you'll lose the "TV effect" whenever you look through a Ghost's "eyes" (When you hit G <default controls>) and whenever you look through the tactical map. It'll be full color instead.

You'll also lose NVGs.

[Degamer]

HERE get rid of the yellow, without loosing any of the other nifty post effects.

[kevtimc11]

I pesonally like the yellow, sets the tone for the map.

[prolificone]

HERE get rid of the yellow, without loosing any of the other nifty post effects.

put this in the graw/setting folder or the graw/data/settings folder? the blood mod adds a local/english folder as well... so i guess i dont know where i put it to make it work

[Degamer]

local\english

[AW Shinobi]

I actually quite like the "desertish" kinda look it gives. Never lived in Mexico, but in Australia I know that it can get quite yellowy sometimes.

I've got one problem though - I installed a couple of mods: BloodMod (Soft) and Digitally TC's multicam mod v1.1

One of these mods tones down the sepia tone in the game. I would actually like to get some of it back.

Anyone know exactly which files have been altered, and why?

[Degamer]

The posteffects.XML file in the settings folder. Take that out and your good.

[AMET_Balamir]

The posteffects.XML file in the settings folder. Take that out and your good.

I tried to do that too, but I got all black texture.... Is it normal? Or maybe I did wrong modify...

[Degamer]

Is everything installed in the local folder properly? Is your quickbundle file renamed? As long as your quickbundle file is properly named and in the right place, and the posteffects file is deleted, you shouldn't have a problem.

*Just to clarify, your quickbundle should have its orginal name, and be unmodified*

Edited June 18, 2006 by Degamer

[buddhiraja73]

Turning off the post effects makes the maps look unnatural. I think Grin has done a decent job of producing a sun soaked look. There is actually a yellow tinge on the environment when the sun is strong. But the yellow needs to be toned down somewhat. I have found that the default brightness setting of 1.0 needs to be increased to 1.1 or 1.2 to get a realistic glare level of a strong sun.

Degamer, I have not tried your mod yet but thanks for trying to tone down the yellow without turning off the post effects. I just hope the yellow is not gone completely and the glare is still present.

[Degamer]

Turning off the post effects makes the maps look unnatural. I think Grin has done a decent job of producing a sun soaked look. There is actually a yellow tinge on the environment when the sun is strong. But the yellow needs to be toned down somewhat. I have found that the default brightness setting of 1.0 needs to be increased to 1.1 or 1.2 to get a realistic glare level of a strong sun.

Degamer, I have not tried your mod yet but thanks for trying to tone down the yellow without turning off the post effects. I just hope the yellow is not gone completely and the glare is still present.

The yellow is turned down exactly 50%.

[AW Shinobi]

What do I have to change to put it on something like, say, 75% instead?

[Degamer]

Open up the post_effects.xml and under each level, up the <sepia_opacity value="X.XXX"/> by 50%.

[viiiper]

It just seems that the sunlight is not quite 'natural' in the game, more like incandescent light.

That's partly to do with the S. American light, it's actually a little yellow compared to northern countries.

[prolificone]

That's partly to do with the S. American light, it's actually a little yellow compared to northern countries.

THat may be true but I dont think its that much more yellow. I saw some of the trailers that showed actual video that the gamemakers used to develop the maps, based on real Mexico City landmarks and the videos didnt appear that yellow.

On another note I just dropped the sepia opacity to about .300 on all maps I like that much better... I was using the blood mod 1.0 instead of 1.1 because 1.1 also includes its own mod version of that XML file. Later tonight I am just going to install the 1.1 after modifying its sepia-opacity in that XML file. Gonna see how well that works.

[MagicK]

Remember, if you plan on playing much multiplayer, these mods will make you unable to play in servers with the "Anticheat option".

[Degamer]

Look familiar? doesn't seem all that yellow to me. In fact, with a quick google image search of mexico city, none of the pictures look like that, withthe exception of one (specificaly about air polution).

[prolificone]

Remember, if you plan on playing much multiplayer, these mods will make you unable to play in servers with the "Anticheat option".

Oh I didnt know that. It can't just ignore any mods placed in the local/english folders? That's Weird.

Maybe there should be a client-side option to disable mods during MP play...

[prolificone]

OK I took the post-effects xml file from the 1.1 blood mod and reduced all the sepia opacity and cha-ching, now we have the 1.1 blood mod with less yellow... very nice!

Thanks for the info and mod degamer!

[viiiper]

That's partly to do with the S. American light, it's actually a little yellow compared to northern countries.

THat may be true but I dont think its that much more yellow. I saw some of the trailers that showed actual video that the gamemakers used to develop the maps, based on real Mexico City landmarks and the videos didnt appear that yellow.

Really depends on what you see and when you see it. Aren’t the Ghosts wearing high vision goggles ?? [ with yellow tint] and a cross-com overlay mask

[AW Shinobi]

Remember that this is also the future, so pollution is most probably higher than now too.

Anyway, I think the sepia adds atmosphere. Though I like it the way it is now with my blood mod on. It's a little lower, not sure how much. My buddy cams are in colour at least.

[prolificone]

I guess its all a matter of opinion. I don't think pollution has changed the way many things have looked in the past 10, 20 or even 50 years, so I doubt it will be much different in 5 years from now. My preference is crisp clean regular colors, that looks realistic. I am not bad mouthing the game by any means, I am sure many people like that sepia look, but I dont.

Edited June 26, 2006 by Prolific